User Experience (UX) Designer

The University of Virginia Library seeks a User Experience (UX) Designer with deep expertise in accessibility and design systems to help shape inclusive digital platforms that are usable, barrier-free, and compliant. This position plays a central role in embedding universal design principles throughout the Library’s websites, applications, and services.

The UX Designer will lead accessibility-centered design efforts across the full product lifecycle— collaborating with designers, researchers, developers, and product managers to implement WCAG 2.1 and ADA best practices. This includes contributing to design execution and systems-level strategy through accessibility audits, usability testing, remediation, and documentation.

About the University of Virginia Library:

The University of Virginia Library is here to ensure that the University community has the information it needs for teaching, research, and personal enjoyment and enrichment. Regularly ranked in the top quartile of ARL libraries, UVA Library has six locations, more than 220 staffers, and more than 100 student employees. Additionally, as a major research institution, the Library regularly collaborates with professional organizations such as the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), Virginia Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, and others.

The University of Virginia Library promotes a culture of respect, collaboration, accountability, and mutual understanding. Departments and individuals are expected to work together, both in professional collaborations and in creating a culture where all can thrive.

The UVA Library is interested in reviewing candidates with a broad range of experiences, education, and qualifications. If you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every preferred qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Responsibilities

• Guide and implement accessibility standards across products and services, in alignment with WCAG 2.1, Section 508, and ADA requirements.
• Conduct accessibility audits, usability testing, and remediation of design and code.
• Advise designers and developers on accessibility in design systems, UI, components, and interaction patterns.
• Collaborate with developers to ensure accessibility is considered throughout the front-end development process (HTML/CSS/JavaScript).
• Design accessible user interfaces for web and mobile platforms based on human-centered design methods.
• Contribute to and evolve the Library's design system, ensuring accessibility is built into all UI elements and documentation.
• Partner with user researchers to define key metrics, gather insights from users with disabilities, and iterate on accessible solutions.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation on accessibility workflows, guidelines, and evaluation processes.
• Promote a culture of accessibility across teams, offering training, support, and practical implementation guidance.
• Collaborate on strategic initiatives related to digital accessibility policy and organizational standards.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, Computer Engineering or related discipline
Experience: At least one year of experience. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in digital design and/or front-end development with a strong accessibility focus.
• Expert knowledge of WCAG 2.1 standards, ARIA implementation, and inclusive design principles.
• Experience working with and testing designs using assistive technologies (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, ZoomText).
• Proficiency with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for evaluating and supporting accessible interfaces.
• Demonstrate ability to identify and resolve accessibility barriers in digital products.
• Experience creating clear, concise technical documentation, including accessibility specifications, design annotations, and developer handoffs.
• Possess strong communication skills and experience collaborating across disciplines in a design-driven environment.
• Experience conducting or contributing to usability studies to inform accessibility benchmarks and KPIs.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative, iterative environment, working effectively with remote and cross-functional teams. They will bring strong visual and interaction design sensibilities, demonstrating a sharp eye for detail and consistency across user experiences. Possess a strong familiarity with federal and state accessibility laws, including the ADA, Section 508. Additionally, the candidate should have experience developing and maintaining accessible design systems or UI pattern libraries to ensure scalable, inclusive design solutions.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Anticipated hiring range: $75,000 - $85,000, commensurate with education and experience.

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